Abstract: Born Scattering Inversion (BSI) systems and methods are disclosed. A BSI system may be incorporated in a well system for accessing natural gas, oil and geothermal reserves in a geologic formation beneath the surface of the Earth. The BSI system may be used to generate a three-dimensional image of a proppant-filled hydraulically-induced fracture in the geologic formation. The BSI system may include computing equipment and sensors for measuring electromagnetic fields in the vicinity of the fracture before and after the fracture is generated, adjusting the parameters of a first Born approximation model of a scattered component of the surface electromagnetic fields using the measured electromagnetic fields, and generating the image of the proppant-filled fracture using the adjusted parameters.

Abstract: Electrically conductive proppants and methods for detecting, locating, and characterizing same are provided. The electrically conductive proppant can include a substantially uniform coating of an electrically conductive material having a thickness of at least 500 nm. The method can include injecting a hydraulic fluid into a wellbore extending into a subterranean formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to open a fracture therein, injecting into the fracture a fluid containing the electrically conductive proppant, electrically energizing the earth at or near the fracture, and measuring three dimensional (x, y, and z) components of electric and magnetic field responses at a surface of the earth or in an adjacent wellbore.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for improving proppant conductivity are disclosed herein. The compositions can include a proppant composition for use in hydraulic fracturing, the composition containing a plurality of particulates. At least one particulate of the plurality of particulates can contain at least one nutrient. The at least one nutrient can separate from the at least one particulate located inside a fracture of a subterranean formation after a period of time.

Abstract: A method for making proppant particles is provided. The method can include providing a slurry of ceramic raw material, the slurry containing a reactant including a polycarboxylic acid, and flowing the slurry through a nozzle in a gas while vibrating the slurry to form droplets. The method can also include receiving the droplets in a vessel containing a liquid having an upper surface in direct contact with the gas, the liquid containing a coagulation agent. The method can further include reacting the reactant with the coagulation agent to cause coagulation of the reactant in the droplets. The droplets can then be transferred from the liquid and dried to form green pellets. The method can include sintering the green pellets in a selected temperature range to form the proppant particles. In one or more exemplary embodiments, the reactant can be or include a PMA:PAA copolymer.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating a three-dimensional image of a proppant-filled hydraulically-induced fracture in a geologic formation are provided. The image may be generated by capturing electromagnetic fields generated or scattered by the proppant-filled fracture, removing dispersion and/or an attenuation effects from the captured electromagnetic fields, and generating the image based on the dispersion and/or attenuation corrected fields. Removing the dispersion and/or attenuation effects may include back propagating the captured electromagnetic fields in the time domain to a source location. The image may be generated based on locations at which the back propagated fields constructively interfere or may be generated based on a model of the fracture defined using the back propagated fields.

Abstract: An in-line treatment cartridge and methods of using same are disclosed. The in-line treatment cartridge can include a cylindrical body configured to allow fluid to flow therethrough and a plurality of particulates contained within the body. At least one particulate of the plurality of particulates can include a chemical treatment agent. The at least one chemical treatment agent can separate from the at least one particulate upon contact with a fluid.

Abstract: A foundry media pellet includes a sintered ceramic material having a size from about 10 AFS GFN to about 110 AFS GFN, and a surface roughness of less than about 4 microns.

Abstract: A method of gravel packing a wellbore can include mixing an activator, a thickener, a crosslinker and a plurality of resin-coated proppant particulates to provide a gravel pack fluid and introducing the gravel pack fluid into a gravel pack region of the wellbore. At least a portion of the plurality of resin-coated proppant particulates can be consolidated in the gravel pack region of the wellbore to provide a consolidated gravel pack. The consolidated gravel pack can have a UCS of at least about 60 psi when formed under a pressure of about 0.01 psi to about 50 psi and a temperature of about 160° F. to about 250° F.

Abstract: A method of gravel packing a wellbore can include mixing an activator, a thickener, a crosslinker and a plurality of resin-coated proppant particulates to provide a gravel pack fluid and introducing the gravel pack fluid into a gravel pack region of the wellbore. At least a portion of the plurality of resin-coated proppant particulates can be consolidated in the gravel pack region of the wellbore to provide a consolidated gravel pack. The consolidated gravel pack can have a UCS of at least about 60 psi when formed under a pressure of about 0.01 psi to about 50 psi and a temperature of about 160° F. to about 250° F.

Abstract: Methods for producing solid, substantially round, spherical and sintered particles from a slurry of a raw material having an alumina content of greater than about 40 weight percent. The slurry is processed to prepare green pellets which are sintered in a furnace with microwave energy at a temperature of 1480 to 1520° C. to produce solid, substantially round, spherical and sintered particles having an average particle size greater than about 200 microns, a bulk density of greater than about 1.35 g/cm3, and an apparent specific gravity of greater than about 2.60.

Abstract: Methods for logging a well utilizing natural radioactivity originating from clay based particulates are disclosed. The methods can include utilizing a gravel pack slurry containing a liquid and gravel pack particles to hydraulically place the particles into a gravel pack zone of a borehole penetrating a subterranean formation and obtaining a post gravel pack data set by lowering into the borehole traversing the subterranean formation a gamma ray detector and detecting gamma rays resulting from a native radioactivity of the gravel pack particles. The methods can further include using the post gravel pack data set to determine a location of the gravel pack particles and correlating the location of the gravel-pack particles to a depth measurement of the borehole to determine the location, height, and/or percent fill of gravel-pack particles placed in the gravel pack zone of the borehole.

Abstract: A composition and method for hydraulically fracturing an oil or gas well to improve the production rates and ultimate recovery using a porous ceramic proppant infused with a chemical treatment agent is provided. The chemical treatment agent may be a tracer material that provides diagnostic information about the production performance of a hydraulic fracture stimulation by the use of distinguishable both water soluble and hydrocarbon soluble tracers. The tracer can be a biological marker, such as DNA. The porous ceramic proppant can be coated with a polymer which provides for controlled release of the chemical treatment agent into a fracture or well bore area over a period of time.

Abstract: Methods for manufacturing electrically-conductive proppant particles are disclosed. The methods can include preparing a slurry containing water, a binder, and a raw material having an alumina content, atomizing the slurry into droplets, and coating seeds containing alumina with the droplets to form a plurality of green pellets. The green pellets can be contacted with an activation solution containing at least one catalytically active material to provide activated green pellets including the at least one catalytically active material. The method can include sintering the activated green pellets to provide a plurality of proppant particles. The plurality of proppant particles can be contacted with a plating solution containing one or more electrically-conductive material to provide electrically-conductive proppant particles.

Abstract: Lightweight proppant particles are disclosed. The lightweight proppant particle can include a proppant particle having an apparent specific gravity of at least about 1.5 g/cc, a coating of a hydrophobic material formed on an outer surface of the proppant particle, and a coating of an amphiphilic material formed on an outer surface of the coating of the hydrophobic material.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining subterranean fracture closure are disclosed herein. The methods can include electrically energizing a casing of a wellbore that extends from a surface of the earth into a subterranean formation having a fracture that is at least partially filled with an electrically conductive proppant and measuring a first electric field response at the surface or in an adjacent wellbore at a first time interval to provide a first field measurement. The methods can also include measuring a second electric field response at the surface or in the adjacent wellbore at a second time interval to provide a second field measurement and determining an increase in closure pressure on the electrically conductive proppant from a difference between the first and second field measurements.

Abstract: Proppant having amphiphobic coatings and methods for making and using same are disclosed. The proppant having amphiphobic coatings can include a proppant particle having a size from about 8 mesh to about 140 mesh, density of less than about 4.0 g/cm3, and a coating containing an amphiphobic material formed on an outer surface of the proppant particle.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for identifying chemical diverter material placed in a borehole region and provides chemical diverter material. In one embodiment, a method for detecting diverter material placed in a borehole region includes (a) obtaining a first data set by: emitting pulses of neutrons from the pulsed neutron source into the borehole region and detecting capture gamma rays resulting from nuclear reactions in the borehole region; (b) placing a diverter material comprising aqueous-swellable particles and a thermal neutron absorbing material into the borehole region; (c) obtaining a second data set by: emitting pulses of neutrons from the first pulsed neutron source or a second pulsed neutron source into the borehole region, and detecting capture gamma rays in the borehole; and (d) comparing the first data set and the second data set to determine the location of diverter material placed in the borehole region.

Abstract: Electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles and methods for producing such electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles from an alumina-containing raw material. Methods for using such electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles in hydraulic fracturing operations.

Abstract: Methods are provided for determining the location and height of a fracture in a subterranean formation using pulsed neutron capture (PNC) logging tools. The methods include obtaining a pre-fracture data set, hydraulically fracturing the formation with a slurry that includes a liquid and a proppant in which at least a portion of the proppant is tagged with a thermal neutron absorbing material, obtaining a post-fracture data set, comparing the pre-fracture data set and the post-fracture data set to determine the location of the proppant, and correlating the location of the proppant to a depth measurement of the borehole to determine the location and height of the propped fracture.

Abstract: Proppant particles formed from slurry droplets and methods of use are disclosed herein. The proppant particles can include a sintered ceramic material and can have a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh and an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns. The methods of use can include injecting a hydraulic fluid into a subterranean formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to open a fracture therein and injecting a fluid containing a proppant particle into the fracture, the proppant particle including a sintered ceramic material, a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh, and an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns.